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Nissan slashes cost of LEAF electric car

The 2013 version of the Nissan LEAF (pictured) will not just be more advanced than ever (see article), it will also be cheaper than ever too.

Nissan has announced that its new entry level model ‘S’ will start at $28,800 in the USA – that’s an 18 per cent reduction compared to the 2012 cost of $35,200 for the entry level model. It is now the lowest priced five-passenger electric car in the USA.

With the new pricing scheme, the mid-level model, the LEAF SV, will cost $31,820; while the top-end LEAF SL will cost $34,480. This also represents a price reduction compared to previous years: and some consumers may even be able to pick up the Nissan LEAF for as little as $18,800 if they take advantage of federal and state tax credits.

There is a federal tax credit of $7,500 available; while some states and municipalities will offer further reductions. For example, California offers a state rebate of $2,500.

The price drop is reflective of Nissan starting to manufacture the LEAF in the USA – at a plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. The battery packs that power the electric car are also built at an adjacent facility and the electric motor comes from a powertrain plant in Decherd, Tennessee.

In addition, Nissan will continue to offer the LEAF for lease – with customers able to get hold of the electric car for just $199 a month for 36months.

Paul is a freelance writer with a background in everything from motoring to finance; and holidays to women's undergarments he just writes about them, honestly! He has now sadly crept into his early 30s and seems to have forgotten everything learned at school Still, he's a green car fanatic and isn't that what counts?